Diversity & Inclusion
Data / Mentorship / Resources

A free mentorship program for people interested in data careers is launching in May

Folks can participate either as a mentor or mentee, and will be matched for biweekly sessions throughout the summer.

Women in tech. (Photo by Christina Morillo, used via Pexels)

A leader in the local data community is launching a free mentorship program designed for anyone interested in exploring a career in data, or in growing in their current data job.

Data Mentorship Program is based on research showing that folks who participate in mentorship programs benefit from salary increases, said founder Rajvi Mehta, an advanced data analyst for Vanguard and the regional lead for the Women in Data meetup. (The program is separate from the 2020 Technical.ly Awards winner’s affiliation with either org, though.)

The program’s goal is to encourage participants to network with each other, access open job postings and build relationships. It also aims to center Philadelphia as a “global hub for an inclusive, diverse, talented data community,” Mehta said.

The program is two sided — one can register as a mentor or a mentee, depending on what you’re looking for, and it will feature a one-on-one mentorship approach.

“Mentorship is also related to diversity and inclusion,” Mehta told Technical.ly. “People tend to mentor those that look like them. This makes it difficult for all to benefit from mentorship. Data Mentorship Program is focused on making mentorship available to all — irrespective of their personal backgrounds.”

The three-month program will launch on May 28, and includes a pre-registration session between the week of May 15 and May 22 for both mentees and their mentors. For those three months, mentors and mentees will spend at least 45 minutes every two weeks together. The program also hosts monthly events for networking, education and job searching.

Mentors ideally have three years of data experience and are working in data, while mentees are likely aspiring data professionals. The pair will work together on specific professional goals and will develop communication, study and personal skills, as well as have a chance to take part in a capstone project. Discussions between mentors and mentees will be private.

Applications for the May 2021 cohort are open here, while applications for an August 2021 cohort are open here.

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